“It was beyond hideous and life-altering,” Sally Field shared, reflecting on a pivotal event from her past as she highlighted the continued struggle for reproductive rights.
As the 2024 presidential election nears, Sally Field has opened up about a deeply personal and traumatic experience from when she was just 17 years old. At that young age, long before the Roe v. Wade decision safeguarded the right to abortion, Field faced a harsh reality.
Field, now 77, recounted in an Instagram video her experience of an illegal abortion in 1964. “I still feel very shamed about it,” she began, reminiscing about the societal norms of the ’50s that deeply affected her.
With no alternative or guidance, Field felt lost. “I had no choices in my life,” she said. At that point, she relied on a family doctor who took her to Tijuana for the procedure, a memory she described with vivid fear. “In a new Cadillac, we parked on a very scary-looking street,” she recalled.
The experience was horrifying and life-altering. Field explained that she underwent the procedure with minimal anesthesia, enduring significant pain and an appalling realization that the technician was abusing her during the process. The urgency of their departure underscored the illegal nature of the event.
Despite the horror, Field expressed her gratitude for the doctor’s bravery, knowing he risked everything to help her.
Reflecting on her life since that pivotal moment, Field shared, “A few months later, I began auditioning,” eventually landing iconic roles that made her a household name.
In her 2018 memoir, In Pieces, she delved deeper into this period, representing the struggles many women of her generation faced. “Many young women today encounter similar challenges,” she pointed out in her video.
“We can’t go back,” Field urged her viewers, reinforcing the message to stand for the rights of young women today.
Her post, a heartfelt plea and call to action, had a poignant caption about the restrictions on contraception back then and her motivation to speak out for future generations.
Field also highlighted her support for candidates like Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, encouraging everyone to actively participate in the upcoming elections to safeguard reproductive freedoms.
The post resonated widely, garnering support from fellow advocates like Busy Philipps and others who shared their own experiences and expressed admiration for Field’s courage.
If you or someone you know has faced similar trauma, help is available by texting “STRENGTH” to 741-741.
